Baptisms!

This has been an absolutely incredible week! Probably one of the best weeks that Sister Turley and I have had thus far, actually! I'm not even sure where to start.

I suppose I'll start with Darlene. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago how we had been having lessons with a man named Everett Seeley (He's the one who joined the church in his early 20's and approached the bishop a few months ago when he decided to come back to church after 40 years of being inactive) Anyway, we finished lessons with him just in time to start to get to know his wife, who is not a member. I guess every time we would teach Everett he would go home and he and Darlene would spend about an hour discussing what he had learned that day. She has come to church a few times and is very interested in learning more now that Everett has made that complete 180 degree change in his life. She is one of the sweetest people I have met here, I just love her! We went over to their home for dinner and a lesson earlier this week. During dinner I asked Everett and Darlene what they had left to do on their bucket lists. Everett said he wanted to go to the temple, and Darlene said that ever since she has been a little girl she has always wanted to be baptized. Can you say golden? We taught the first lesson, and the spirit was so strong the entire time! When we taught about the first vision Darlene said, "You see, it's from hearing that story that I first knew without a doubt that this had to be the only true church. When Everett said those words a few weeks ago, somehow I just knew. And the same thing happened to me just now." What!? You mean you already have a testimony!? Well that makes our job easy! When it was time to invite Darlene to be baptized I could just barely get the words out of my mouth, because I felt so much love for Darlene, and in that moment, knowing that she was going to say yes, I realized the magnitude of that decision and it was so overwhelming. I realized that so many people had said no, even people before my mission, but in that moment it didn't matter, because they may have said no, but Darlene Seeley had said yes! Talk about "How great shall be your joy." I'm so excited for Everett and Darlene! AUGUST 24th can't come fast enough!!!!

Earlier this week we had another lesson with Chuck Q. We went into the lesson fully prepared to have a drop lesson if we needed to because we weren't sure if Chuck was progressing or not, but he completely surprised us by telling us that he had tried praying a few more times since our last lesson with him! He even agreed to say the closing prayer for our lesson again. He says that he's trying to be genuine, and he really thinks about the words he is saying before he prays, but he doesn't feel like his heart is quite in it yet. But he is trying!!!!! We taught lesson 3, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we invited him to be baptized. After we asked him if he would be baptized it was silent for a few moments. Chuck didn't say yes, but he didn't say no. He just sat there thoughtfully for a few moments thinking. Then as if on cue the baby spit up all over Sam, providing a very inconvenient but much needed distraction. Anyway. We talked to Sam privately this Sunday and she told us that after we left Chuck told her that he was seriously considering saying yes!!! For a long time I've suspected that Chuck believes in God way more than he lets on or will even admit to himself. He's felt the spirit multiple times. He knows that this is good for his family, and he told Sam that he hates barriers and feels that religion is the biggest barrier between them that needs to be taken down. If Chuck decides to be baptized he will live the doctrine so that he can wholeheartedly support his family. I just really hope that Chuck can feel that he has that testimony of his own before he decides to take a step that he knows would be good but is more for Sam than for himself.

After weeks of struggling to get investigators to come to church, yesterday we had 3 of them there! A Christian, an Atheist, and a Wicken. Oh my! We invited Tiffany to come to church earlier this week, and she said she was pretty sure she could make it. We said we would call Sunday morning to remind her, but when we called nobody answered.  We knew Chuck and Darlene would be at church, but our goal for investigators at church this week was 3, not 2! We had been very blessed and just barely met all of our other goals this week- it was a miracle! So we decided that there was no way we weren't going to get Heavenly Father that 3rd person at church. Around 12:30, half an hour before church was going to start, we drove out to see Tiffany. She was still in her nightgown, but when she answered the door she said, "Oh no, I completely forgot, is it too late? Can I still come?" So Tiffany frantically put some clothes on, we met her at the church, and we all made it just in the nick of time. Tiffany absolutely loved it!! She said she hasn't been in a Christian church in 10 years, so she was nervous, but here she didn't feel judged. She told us she had learned a lot and she had quite a bit to think about before our next lesson with her family. She wants to come back next week, and hopefully bring her husband and little girls!

Next week is Bennett and Verna's week, I can feel it! If there is anything that I've learned this week and the week before, it's that this work is going to go forth no matter what. It's happening quickly, and the spirit is strong. Sister Turley and I have had a few creepy experiences where we could tell that there's a ton more out there than a fairly sheltered BYU student sees. I have a testimony that Satan is real and that he is absolutely running rampant, but I also have a strong testimony that the Lord is so much stronger than He is! In the end, good will conquer!!!

Don't forget to do your part in the work, the Lord needs you too!

Love you all bunches!

Love, Sister Slade